Introduction

"The Silent Witness - Why 38 people watched a murder and did nothing" investigates the murder of Kitty Genovese in 1964, the case that launched the psychological study of the "Bystander Effect." The initial New York Times report claimed that 38 respectable citizens watched from their windows as a woman was stabbed to death over 30 minutes, and not one called the police.

Psychologist Jessica Crowd re-examines the case, separating the sensational myth from the complex reality (some did call, but it was too late, or lines were busy). The book explores "Diffusion of Responsibility": The more people are present, the less responsible each individual feels to act ("Someone else will do it").

Key Takeaways

"The Silent Witness" is a disturbing look at social psychology. It teaches readers how to break the paralysis in an emergency: Don't yell "Help" to the crowd; point to one specific person and say, "You, call 911."